"I find it very heartbreaking that my children's father chooses a public forum to discuss his current opinions of the 'development' of our children," she wrote on Nov. 4, noting that those opinions are "value judgments" based on "limited" visits with the former couple's eight young kids. (She and Jon share twins Cara and Mady, 13, and 9-year-old sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel.)

Kate acknowledged that she risked "stirring up an unwanted public and private 'frenzy' by commenting" on her ex's statements, but said she felt compelled to defend her kids against his claims. (Jon told Winfrey the kids "have problems with their peers, and they have problems with talking to other people,and they have problems with wants and needs and manners and morals and what's right and what's wrong.")

"Because he has spoken negatively about our children, I feel I owe it to them to respond on their behalf," Kate explained. "Each and every one of our children has met and continues to exceed all physical, mental, and emotional developmental milestones throughout their lives. Their normal development is regularly monitored by myself, their pediatrician, and school staff, as is usual within any family."

She went on to note that it is "very normal in a family, especially a large family, to have a full range of personalities, abilities, talents, hobbies, and struggles." Her kids are no different. "However, anyone who has personally met our children all have the same thing to say: They are the most normal, pleasant, polite, loving and well adjusted children they have ever met," she wrote. "Most even go on to say that they are a 'a delight' to be around."

Kate further slammed Jon's statements as "untrue and hurtful" to the kids. She concluded, "If our children ever stumble upon that interview, I want to be able to point them to this statement so that they know that I publicly set the record 100% straight on this one, for their sake."